Tag: BT Sport

Kevin Johnson has new motivation going into his upcoming heavyweight clash with Daniel Dubois.

The boxing veteran shared the news that his father had died just a couple of weeks ago, but vows to continue his preparations for the fight and will use his family bereavement as fuel and cause the upset by defeating his largely fancied opponent.

“It’s given me so much renewed hunger to win this.” He says, alongside his new training strategies which Johnson has included in his day-to-day training regime. The American believes we will see ‘a new Kevin Johnson’ on October 6th.

The former world title challenger has shared the ring with some of the recent best in the heavyweight division including Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua, Kubrat Pulev and of course a world title tilt at then WBC Champion Vitali Klitschko in 2009.

Now 21 years old, Dubois is quickly becoming the biggest prospect on the heavyweight scene. The young London fighter has knocked out all eight of his opponents to date.

“He’s made a good start” admitted Johnson.

He continued: “But it’s a big transition to make, especially for a heavyweight. There is always a danger that they haven’t seen what an experienced, veteran fighter can bring to them. Let’s see what happens when he steps into that ring against me.

“He’s going to feel the pressure and how does he react to that? You only know whether you can cope with going up levels once you’re in them. It’s a hard business, and many young prospects have faltered because they find they can’t make the next step. He doesn’t know he will make it, he can’t know!”

The Time Is Now’ is headlined by Jack Catterall v Ohara Davies. Leicester’s own, Lyon Woodstock defends his WBO European Super-Featherweight title against Archie Sharp. Heavyweight prospect Daniel Dubois takes on former world title challenger Kevin Johnson. Olympian and double gold medallist Nicola Adams will be fighting Isabel Millan for the Interim WBO World Female Flyweight Title and Leicester’s British Super-Featherweight champion Sam Bowen also feature on a major night of boxing televised live on BT Sport.

Tickets are priced at £40, £60, £100, £150, £200 and are available to purchase from Eventbrite and Ticketmaster.

MARK HEFFRON insists he is already prepared to rip the British Middleweight title from Jason Welborn.

Heffron’s promoter Frank Warren won the purse bids to stage Welborn’s (24-6) second title defence and the fight will take place before the end of this year.

Heffron (20-0) will have a warm-up at Leicester’s Morningside Arena on Saturday October 6 before the biggest test of his career.

The Oldham puncher who has KO’d 16 of his victims said: “Welborn is pretty one-dimensional, comes forward, looks solid and it is a fight I cannot wait to happen.

“I am definitely the bigger, stronger fighter and if he wants to come and meet me in the centre of the ring he’ll realise I’m strong.”

“I have been a long time waiting for this chance so I am absolutely buzzing. I couldn’t be more ready.

“I have spent time boxing on small shows and now this fight will put me on Frank’s big TV shows. I am hoping it is going to be on the Josh Warrington-Carl Frampton card in December

“Fighting on small hall shows and being down the bill on bigger shows has been a great experience and done me good.”

Heffron, 26, has been a professional for eight years and is targeting world ranked Martin Murray if he gets past Welborn.

He added: “It is one step at a time and all about getting the right fights, but next year if all goes well against Welborn I’m looking at facing men like Martin Murray.

“I want to win the British title, make a defence and then move on to men like Martin.”

Heffron admits that he has often been accused of jumping trainers during his career, but insists he’s settled under Robert Rimmer.

He explained: “My manager Kevin Maree helped me out for the last couple of fights and now I am with Robert.

“I get plenty one-to-one time with him and he is always varying training away from the gym with different runs and swimming. There is something different every day.

“It looks like I have jumped from gym to gym, but I have been using different gyms when I haven’t had a fight date.

“I haven’t actually had lots of trainers like people think because I have been using different gyms when I haven’t had a fight.”

Birmingham’s Welborn, 32, took the British title from Tommy Langford on a split decision in May. he repeated that win with another split decision in their rematch earlier this month.
The Time Is Now’ is headlined by Jack Catterall v Ohara Davies. Leicester’s own, Lyon Woodstock defends his WBO European Super-Featherweight title against Archie Sharp. Heavyweight prospect Daniel Dubois takes on former world title challenger Kevin Johnson. Olympian and double gold medallist Nicola Adams will be fighting Isabel Millan for the Interim WBO World Female Flyweight Title and Leicester’s British Super-Featherweight champion Sam Bowen also feature on a major night of boxing televised live on BT Sport.
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Tickets are priced at £40, £60, £100, £150, £200 and are available to purchase from Eventbrite and Ticketmaster.

In one of the best fights made in 2018, Jack Catterall (22-0) and Ohara Davies (18-1) will clash on October 6th at the Morningside Arena, Leicester. The fight will headline Frank Warren’s ‘The Time Is Now’ show LIVE on BT Sport.

This short promo video whets the appetite for what is one of the most intriguing fights of the year.

The Time Is Now’ is headlined by Jack Catterall v Ohara Davies. Leicester’s own, Lyon Woodstock defends his WBO European Super-Featherweight title against Archie Sharp. Heavyweight prospect Daniel Dubois takes on former world title challenger Kevin Johnson. Olympian and double gold medallist Nicola Adams will be fighting Isabel Millan for the Interim WBO World Female Flyweight Title and Leicester’s British Super-Featherweight champion Sam Bowen also feature on a major night of boxing televised live on BT Sport.

Tickets are priced at £40, £60, £100, £150, £200 and are available to purchase from Eventbrite and Ticketmaster.

Lyon Woodstock disapproves of Archie Sharp’s professional boxing record and questions the calibre of opponent the Londoner has faced as the war of words continue between the two.

Both fighters have traded verbal jabs between themselves all through-out the build up to their encounter in Leicester on October 6th. Woodstock (11-0) recently stated he will be a big step up in level for Sharp (13-0) and has backed up his statement by questioning the names on his professional record.

“Yeah he’s managed to stay unbeaten but who has he fought? said the WBO European super-featherweight champion.

He continued:” I look at the names on his record and all I’m thinking to myself is- yeah I would have stopped him.”

Sharp responded to Woodstock’s remarks by calling him a ‘one-dimensional’ fighter and believes his boxing abilities are ‘too cute’ for the Leicester native’s attacking style to be a problem.

“He can say stuff like he’s ‘too cute’ all he likes, I know I will make this fight my kind of fight. Once he’s in the eye of the storm, he isn’t getting out.” stated Woodstock.

“Once you take me out the freezer and put me in the oven, that’s when I come alive. I’m the kind of fighter who relishes that kind of fight, it will be the total opposite for him.

“He’s going to start getting gassed, desperately throwing shots and that is when he will leave his chin open for me. That is the exact position I will make him be in before I hit him sweetly on the chin and send him packing.”

The Time Is Now’ is headlined by Jack Catterall v Ohara Davies. Leicester’s own, Lyon Woodstock defends his WBO European Super-Featherweight title against Archie Sharp. Heavyweight prospect Daniel Dubois takes on former world title challenger Kevin Johnson. Olympian and double gold medallist Nicola Adams will be fighting Isabel Millan for the Interim WBO World Female Flyweight Title and Leicester’s British Super-Featherweight champion Sam Bowen also feature on a major night of boxing televised live on BT Sport.

Tickets are priced at £40, £60, £100, £150, £200 and are available to purchase from Eventbrite and Ticketmaster.

JACK CATTERALL BELIEVES a blueprint has been established for defeating super lightweight rival Ohara Davies, with the pair set to meet in the ring on October 6 at the Leicester Arena, live and exclusive on BT Sport.

The Chorley southpaw, now working out of the North West base of new trainer Jamie Moore, has studied the highlight reel of Davies’ sole loss to Josh Taylor in July 2017, although it was not a fight he watched live as he was present on the same night at the Copper Box supporting his promotional stablemates.

Word quickly reached him that the unbeaten record of the then flamboyant Davies had gone up in smoke in Scotland via a seventh round stoppage and Catterall suspects his next opponent sought an exit from the fight when the going got tough.

However, the former British champion accepts that Davies poses a fairly unique puzzle for him to solve given the reach advantage he holds over most opponents.

“Listen, I respect him as a fighter,” insisted the 25-year-old in his latest Fighter Diary posted on www.frankwarren.com. “He can fight and he’s had a few alright wins although I don’t think he has beat anyone great.

“He’s been beat and we’ve seen the blueprint. He quits. He’s got long arms, I don’t believe he is the greatest boxer so we will just see on October 6 how I dismantle him.

“He is an unusual one to prepare for given his dimensions but one thing I do believe is my timing and distance is something that works for me. I’ve sparred Bradley Skeete and a lot of tall awkward fighters.

“I won’t have too much trouble preparing for Davies.”
Davies has vowed not to stoke the fires ahead of the fight with any provocation on social media, which Catterall says suits him just fine, but he will respond in kind if any pot-shots do end up being posted in his direction.

“There might or might not be a bit more spice in the build up to this fight, but I like to think to think I don’t get too involved in it all.

“I’ll definitely not be taken for an idiot. If you have got something to say, then say it and I will respond. I’m not out there to troll any fighter and talk nonsense to build a fight.

“Everyone is looking forward to this one, they know it is a good fight and I don’t believe there is any reason to talk trash. I am just excited to get the fight on.

“Hopefully this will be the final step for me towards challenging for a world title. I have defended the WBO Intercontinental so many times that I should have a ring for it by now!

“This should be a good fight to set me up for the next step and I won’t be running away from him – I am coming to beat him. I am sure he will be doing likewise because he needs a good win more than I do.”

‘The Time Is Now’ is headlined by Jack Catterall v Ohara Davies. Leicester’s own, Lyon Woodstock defends his WBO European Super-Featherweight title against Archie Sharp. Heavyweight prospect Daniel Dubois takes on former world title challenger Kevin Johnson. Olympian and double gold medallist Nicola Adams will be fighting Isabel Millan for the Interim WBO World Female Flyweight Title and Leicester’s British Super-Featherweight champion Sam Bowen also feature on a major night of boxing televised live on BT Sport.

Tickets are priced at £40, £60, £100, £150, £200 and are available to purchase from Eventbrite and Ticketmaster.

Heavyweight veteran and former World title challenger Kevin Johnson has warned upcoming opponent Daniel Dubois he will be facing ‘a new Kevin Johnson’ when they clash on October 6th at the Morningside Arena, Leicester.

Despite being at the age of 38 years old and over 15 years into his professional boxing campaign, it hasn’t stopped Johnson (32-10-1) from changing his regime and taking a different approach to finding ways to succeed within the sport.

“I’ve been doing strategic work with Richard Dean in the UK, Gary Clark in the US, and Christian Hiller in Germany. I’m experienced and am working in new ways. The mental side is a huge part of it for me now. That’s Richard Dean’s expertise right there, I’ve never worked with anyone better.” said the American.

Johnson’s boxing career has seen him step into the ring a total of 43 times and he has faced some of best heavyweights the division has had to offer in recent years including Tyson Fury and a world title challenge against Vitali Klitschko; something which Johnson believes could prove to be the difference between himself and Dubois (8-0, 8KO) on fight night:

He continued: “It’s a massive step up for him. I’ve been in with everybody. He will really have to learn fast while he’s in the fight itself, or he’ll have a bad night.”

Daniel Dubois, who is celebrating his 21st Birthday today, has had a perfect start to his professional boxing career by defeating all eight of his opponents by knockout. Despite what will most certainly be a step up in level for the young heavyweight prospect, he is full of confidence he will beat the veteran American on October 6th.

“I’m happy for him that he thinks that!” chuckled Johnson.

“But, has he accumulated enough skills, abilities to mix at this level? Does he have skills at the next level?

“He definitely will not know until he steps in there. He will feel uncertain, no matter what he says, or what people tell him. He won’t have seen what I will bring. There will be points in that fight where he will feel very unsure, uncertain and unclear, and that is a fact.

“I lost my father last week, and that gives me so much renewed hunger to win this.

“To reiterate; Dubois hasn’t seen anything like me, and the world hasn’t seen anything like the me who has done lots of mental prep.

“The me who has done lots of physical prep and the me who has just lost his father. This is a new Kevin Johnson, but with lots of experience. I really want this, I will be bringing my A-Game.”

‘The Time Is Now’ is headlined by Jack Catterall v Ohara Davies. Leicester’s own, Lyon Woodstock defends his WBO European Super-Featherweight title against Archie Sharp. Heavyweight prospect Daniel Dubois takes on former world title challenger Kevin Johnson. Olympian and double gold medallist Nicola Adams will be fighting Isabel Millan for the Interim WBO World Female Super-Flyweight Title and Leicester’s British Super-Featherweight champion Sam Bowen also feature on a major night of boxing televised live on BT Sport.

Tickets are priced at £40, £60, £100, £150, £200 and are available to purchase from Eventbrite and Ticketmaster.

Nicola Adams will face former world title challenger Isabel Millan for the Interim WBO World Female Super-Flyweight title at the Morningside Leicester Arena on October 6th.

Adams (35) has recently teamed up with trainer Dominic Ingle in Sheffield and will be competing for the interim strap in just her fifth outing as a professional. Her last outing was in her native Leeds at Elland road in May where she only needed one round to defeat Argentina’s Soledad del Valle Frias.

The highly decorated amateur will have the opportunity to win her maiden title as a professional and place herself in pole position to fight for the WBO World Female Super-Flyweight title; currently being held by Germany’s Raja Amasheh (21-1-1).

Her Mexican opponent Millan (33) promises to be a worthy competitor for Adams having experienced challenging for world title honours in the past but falling short against five-weight world champion Naoko Fujioka in March 2017.

“Nicola has been asking for a fight like this and I’m delighted that we have delivered for her.” said her promotor, Frank Warren.

He continued: “Isabel Millan is a tough, Mexican fighter, has a good record and has good experience fighting at world level, this is going to be a good test for Nicola.

“The Leicester bill is absolutely stacked with good quality fights and Nicola fighting for the interim world title just adds to what is going to be a fantastic night of boxing on October 6th.”

‘The Time Is Now’ is headlined by Jack Catterall v Ohara Davies. Leicester’s own, Lyon Woodstock defends his WBO European Super-Featherweight title against Archie Sharp. Heavyweight prospect Daniel Dubois takes on former world title challenger Kevin Johnson. Olympian and double gold medallist Nicola Adams will be fighting Isabel Millan for the Interim WBO World Female Super-Flyweight Title and Leicester’s British Super-Featherweight champion Sam Bowen also feature on a major night of boxing televised live on BT Sport.

Tickets are priced at £40, £60, £100, £150, £200 and are available to purchase from Eventbrite and Ticketmaster.

JACK CATTERALL has revealed that he is the man doing all the talking ahead of his big fight against Ohara Davies.

The Chorley man believes regular chats with gym-mate Carl Frampton are playing a key role ahead of his WBO intercontinental super-lightweight title defence against the Londoner at Leicester’s Morningside Arena on October 6.

WBO ranked No 2 Catterall (22-0) and two-weight world champion Frampton are both trained by Jamie Moore and the Chorley ace said: “Carl’s win over Luke Jackson and Rocky Fielding’s world title upset has brought a good vibe in the gym.

“Carl has been at the highest level and I can pick his brains. I am not afraid of asking people like him questions.

“I have been at the side of him for a couple of camps and I have never been scared of going up to him and asking about opinions.

“My chats with Carl has definitely brought me on.

“I have been in the WBO rankings for a couple of years, I have earned my stripes and once I come thorough Davies I don’t believe that world title shot is far away.”

Catterall, 25, will be having his fourth fight under Moore which has so far yielded a pair of first round stoppages and a hard fought points win against Tyrone McKenna.

He added: “I feed off everybody’s energy and the gym environment is only going to help me learn and progress in my fight.

“McKenna was a good learning fight. It was only my third with the new team and the previous fights both only went a round.

“It was nice to get the rounds in with Jamie and Nigel Travis in the corner.”

Davies (18-1) has a reputation as one of boxing’s greatest trash talkers, but so far has stuck to his promise not to goad Catterall ahead of their much anticipated showdown.

Catterall says: “I couldn’t care less if he is ranting about me or keeping his mouth shut.

“It won’t make any difference to what happens in the fight and that is all I am focused on.

“It is going to be a tough fight. He has had some good wins over the last couple of years and he has power, but I believe in my ability to overcome what he has got.”

‘The Time Is Now’ is headlined by Jack Catterall v Ohara Davies. Leicester’s own, Lyon Woodstock defends his WBO European Super-Featherweight title against Archie Sharp. Heavyweight prospect Daniel Dubois takes on former world title challenger Kevin Johnson. Olympian and double gold medallist Nicola Adams and Leicester’s British Super-Featherweight champion Sam Bowen also feature on a major night of boxing televised live on BT Sport.

Tickets are priced at £40, £60, £100, £150, £200 and are available to purchase from Eventbrite and Ticketmaster.

Upcoming foe’s Lyon Woodstock and Archie Sharp continue to exchange words in the build up to their clash on October 6th for the WBO European Super-Featherweight title.

Woodstock (11-0) and Sharp (13-0) have been trading verbal punches through social media, beginning months before their fight was even announced.

“I didn’t even know who the guy was until somebody showed me the tweets he was putting.” admitted the current owner of the belt, Woodstock.

“At first I didn’t think anything of it but then he was posting tweet after tweet about me, so I thought let’s see who this Archie boy is!”

Both undefeated fighters met each other for the first time at the show announcement in July which gave them both the opportunity to ‘discuss’ their differences face-to-face.

“I found it all very funny.” said Woodstock.

He continued: “I mean, I turned up with my title and he turned up wearing a man bag! Who even has those these days?!

“All of this is new to him. He made it obvious to everybody that he wasn’t really too sure what he was doing, bless his heart!”
Sharp’s first impressions not going down well with Woodstock, but the feelings appeared to be mutual;

“Blah-blah-blah!… I just let him talk because that’s what he likes to do.” Sharp replied with.

“For me, the fights made, my talking will be done in the ring.

“I personally believe the reason he talks so much and writes so much on twitter and social media is so he can serve some confidence to his self because that is what he needs.”

Archie Sharp’s amateur pedigree has been a factor he has made clear to Woodstock all throughout, something the Leicester man has mockingly played down in return.

“Lyon has to go on about my amateur career and it was this many years ago, but at the end of the day, I’m still sparring and mixing it with the likes of Luke Campbell, Joe Cordina; both top amateur fighters.

“I boxed at a great level, boxed opponents at a high level and ability wise that are a lot better than Lyon Woodstock, the only difference really is that this is a ten-round fight, but I train for twelve-round fights and on the 6th October I’m going to turn it up!”

‘The Time Is Now’ is headlined by Jack Catterall v Ohara Davies. Leicester’s own, Lyon Woodstock defends his WBO European Super-Featherweight title against Archie Sharp. Heavyweight prospect Daniel Dubois takes on former world title challenger Kevin Johnson. Olympian and double gold medallist Nicola Adams and Leicester’s British Super-Featherweight champion Sam Bowen also feature on a major night of boxing televised live on BT Sport.

Tickets are priced at £40, £60, £100, £150, £200 and are available to purchase from Eventbrite and Ticketmaster.

Archie Sharp is full of confidence going into his clash with Lyon Woodstock and states that his opponent’s downfall will be because of his ‘one dimensional’ boxing ability.

Sharp (13-0) had the opportunity to do some homework on Woodstock (11-0) when he witnessed the fight in which Lyon beat Craig Poxton to claim the WBO European title; the belt he will be defending when they step into the ring on October 6th.

“It was a good fight.” admitted Sharp.

“Regarding Lyon’s performance, I thought he boxed the same as he did in his first fight, his second fight, third fight and so on…

“he’s a one-dimensional fighter, there is no change in his game, he has shown me nothing different. Poxton sat in the pocket the whole fight and it worked out well for Lyon, and to be honest with you I still thought it was a very close fight.”

Unimpressed by Woodstock’s efforts in his encounter with Poxton, Sharp continued by taking a punt on how their fight will pan out on October 6th:

“Lyon is going to come out at the first bell and try and put the pressure on me and try and sit on my chest for the ten rounds.

“I’ll be too clever for that and my boxing abilities are too cute for that to happen.

“It wouldn’t surprise me if Lyon is going to just make sure he’s super fit for this fight because that is all he’s got; boxing skill and boxing ability wise, he isn’t on my level.”

Along with having the ‘challenger’ status, Sharp will be in Woodstock territory on fight night when he travels up from London to fight in Woodstock’s native Leicester.

However, it is a factor undaunting to Sharp who believes it could feel quite the opposite when making the journey up the M1 from London and into the Midlands.

“It might be in his back garden but at the end of the day it will just be me and him in that ring.

“I’m coming up with a big army of supporters so it wouldn’t surprise me if it sounds like we’re in London on October 6th.”

‘The Time Is Now’ is headlined by Jack Catterall v Ohara Davies. Leicester’s own, Lyon Woodstock defends his WBO European Super-Featherweight title against Archie Sharp. Heavyweight prospect Daniel Dubois takes on former world title challenger Kevin Johnson. Olympian and double gold medallist Nicola Adams and Leicester’s British Super-Featherweight champion Sam Bowen also feature on a major night of boxing televised live on BT Sport.

Tickets are priced at £40, £60, £100, £150, £200 and are available to purchase from Eventbrite and Ticketmaster.